Marilyn Monroe 'subway' dress sells for $4.6 mln

The pleated ivory dress that blew around Marilyn Monroe in an iconic scene from "The Seven Year Itch" sold for $4.6 million at a weekend auction of Hollywood costumes -- far exceeding its estimate.

The so-called "subway" dress is perhaps the most recognizable in movie history. In Billy Wilder's 1955 movie, a passing train sent a draft through a grate as Monroe giddily stood above it proclaiming, "Isn't it delicious?"

The William Travilla design was estimated to sell for between $1 million and $2 million, the crown jewel at a 12-hour auction of nearly 600 costumes and pieces of memorabilia being sold by actress Debbie Reynolds in Beverly Hills on Saturday.

Monroe's red-sequined dress from "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" went for $1.2 million. Its pre-sale estimate was $200,000 to $300,000. Audrey Hepburn's Ascot dress from "My Fair Lady," carrying the same estimate, sold for $3.7 million.

The collection featured costumes worn by other Hollywood stars, from Grace Kelly, Natalie Wood and Elizabeth Taylor to Madonna and Mike Myers.


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